Monday Morning Offering: 12/21

Coffee in the Morning by George Mendoza

Good morning, good God!

Well, there are only 4 shopping days left 

‘til your birthday, Lord…

But what can I possibly get
for the God who has everything? 

What can I give you
that you could possibly want from me?

How about if I offer you this Christmas

the gift of striving, in the new year ahead,

striving to be and become

the person you made me to be

- not the person I wish I were -

but just the person you created me to be...

 

And how about if this Christmas 

I offer to wrap up what has no business

renting space within my heart:

wrap it, tie it with a ribbon and pitch it out -

starting the new year with a clean slate

and a lot less baggage... 

 

How about if I offer, for your birthday, Lord,

to do some decorating:

to deck my thoughts with boughs of kindness,

my words with the light of truth

my deeds with garlands of grace

and my heart with a wreath of prayer...

 

How about I offer you, Lord, a Christmas carol?

Not one of the old ones everybody knows

(as beautiful as they are)

but rather a new one, the song of my heart:

the melody of my desire to please you

and the lyrics of my gratitude

with a chorus of praise 

for your mercy and your steadfast love...

 

So, all I have to give you for Christmas, Lord,

are these simple, handmade, heartfelt gifts:

I pray you'll receive them, accept them

and find in them an offering of myself, 

returning to your heart and hands 

the gifts, the love you've given me...

 

Such is my morning offering, Lord,

as Christmas now draws near:

bless me with your peace this day

and through the new year just ahead...

 

Amen.

Tweet  

   
Subscribe to A Concord Pastor Comments